Foundation Stones to Happiness and Success Foundation Stones to Happiness and Success

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Foundation Stones to Happiness and Success was published in 1913 and is considered public domain. Cover shown: © 2008, Wilder Productions.

by James AllenFirst published in 1913 Cover shown: © 2008, Wilder Productions

SUCCESS.com SUCCESS BOOK SUMMARIES SUCCESS.com SUCCESS BOOK SUMMARIESPage 1Page 6Page 5 SUCCESS.com SUCCESS BOOK SUMMARIES

The True Path If we live our principles, we will fi nd success in business and in life.

QUICK OVERVIEW This short, well-organized book clearly came from James Allen’s heart and life,

and spilled right onto the page. Though some of his word choices date the book, written almost 100 years ago, the simplicity of his message shines into this day and age. Essentially, Allen urges readers to apply the right principles and follow them from beginning to end. He notes that we are in control of our thoughts and actions, and in order to be successful in business, and in life, we need to be focused, compassionate and balanced. We need to check and overcome all forms of prejudice, avoid speaking evil of others, or listening to it, and follow the “true and direct” path, regardless of the forces around us. He makes it sound easy, and maybe it is. After all, his simple wisdom has survived longer than most of its readers will live.

APPLY AND ACHIEVE It’s easy to talk about having good principles; harder to live by them. But they are

at the foundation of a successful life. The best way to apply them is to start at the bottom and work your way up to lasting success. According to James Allen, the � ve key principles are duty, honesty, economy, liberality and self-control. Of those � ve, all but liberality are common buzzwords in today’s society. But by Allen’s de� nitions, we all have something to learn. For example, he de� nes duty as minding your own business—paying attention to what you’re doing, not what someone else is doing. Duty requires giving undivided attention to the matter at hand. To practice honesty, you must do more than pledge to tell the truth. You must also avoid insincere compliments, and build a good reputation, which will help to build a good business. To Allen, economy

of these things, for there are no lies and no slanders so deadly as those which are half-truths, and let him not be a participant in evil-speaking by listening to it.

EQUAL-MINDEDNESS To be equally-minded is to be peacefully-minded, for a man

cannot be said to have arrived at peace who allows his mind to be disturbed and thrown o� the balance by occurrences. The partisan is so convinced that his own opinion and his own side is right, and all that goes contrary to them is wrong, that he cannot think there is any good in the other opinion and the other side. He lives in a continual fever of attack and defense, and has no knowledge of the quiet peace of an equal mind.

The equal-minded man watches himself in order to check and overcome even the appearance of passion and prejudice in his mind, and by so doing he develops sympathy for others, and comes to understand their position and particular state of mind; and as he comes to understand others, he perceives the folly of condemning them and opposing himself to them. Thus there grows up in his heart a divine charity which cannot be limited, but which is extended to all things that live and strive and su� er. The occurrences of life do not trouble him, nor does he grieve over those things which are regarded by mankind as grievous, but which must befall all men in the ordinary course of nature. He is neither elated by success nor cast down by failure.

GOOD RESULTS Deeper thought, and a clearer insight into life convinces us,

however, that nothing happens without a cause, and that cause and e� ect are always related in perfect adjustment and harmony. We reap as we sow. Those things which come to us, though not by our own choosing, are by our causing. Within ourselves is the deep-seated cause of all of our su� erings, the spring of all of our joys. Alter the inner world of our thoughts, and the other world

of events will cease to bring you sorrow; make the heart pure, and to you all things will be pure, all occurrences happy and in true order.

Our life is good or bad, enslaved or free, according to its causation in our thoughts, for out of these thoughts spring all our deeds, and from these deeds come equitable results. We cannot seize good relationships violently, like a thief, and claim and enjoy them, but we can bring them to pass by, setting in motion the causes within ourselves. Men strive for money, sigh for happiness, and would gladly possess wisdom, yet fail to secure these things, while they see others to whom these blessings appear unbidden. The doer of true actions, who pursues sound methods, grounded on right principles will not need to strive and struggle for good results; they will be there as the e� ects of his righteous rule of life. The truth of sowing and reaping in the moral sphere is a simple one, yet men are slow to understand and accept it.

If we observe right principles, or causes, wrong e� ects cannot possibly accrue. If we pursue sound methods, no shoddy thread can � nd its way into the web of our life, no rotten brick enter into the building of our character to render it insecure, and if we do true actions, what but good results can come to pass; for to say that good causes can produce bad e� ects is to say that nettles can be reaped from the sowing of corn.

He who orders his life along the moral lines thus brie� y enunciated will attain to such a state of insight and equilibrium as to render him permanently happy and perennially glad; all his e� orts will be seasonally planted; all the issues of his life will be good, and though he may not become a millionaire as indeed he will have no desire to become such—he will acquire the gift of peace, and true success will wait upon him as its commanding master.

SUCCESS PointsThis book will teach you how to:

Make choices based on • sound moral principles

Find equilibrium, even when • the world around you is unsettled

Order your life so that you • bring about good things by your thoughts and actions

Correct and perfect your • mind, making it more powerful and effi cient

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Foundation Stones to Happiness and Success by James Allen

ACTION STEPS Get more out of this SUCCESS Book Summary by putting what you’ve learned into action. Below are a few thoughts and questions to help you get started:

We reap what we sow, either by our choosing or by our 1. “causing.” Are you ready to harness your thoughts to bring about change in your life?

An “equal-minded” man is neither elated by success 2. nor cast down by failure. He sees the events of life in their proper proportion. Are the events of your life in proportion?

Constructing a house requires a detailed plan, and 3. that plan must be closely followed. Take a few minutes to imagine your life as a house. How well has it been constructed?

Allen writes that we must avoid acts of pleasure which 4. bring about annoyance or pain to others, no matter how insignifi cant these acts may be. How would your life be changed if you lived by his advice?

Allen writes that a businessman who loses his temper with 5. a customer over a trivial matter is a man who is doomed to failure because he lacks self-control. Think about how this applies to your life and your interactions with others, both personally and professionally.

Even if you avoid speaking evil of others, you are still guilty 6. of slander if you listen to others’ idle gossip. For one day, avoid doing either one and see how you feel at the end of the day.

It is easy to be infl uenced by another’s opinions of 7. ourselves or our actions. Determine to be guided by your own internal forces.

About the AuthorNearly 100 years after his death, little is known about the

man one biographer refers to as the “literary mystery man.”

James Allen wrote 19 philosophical and inspirational books

during his relatively short life, and didn’t even live long enough

to see them all published. He was born in England in 1864 and

died there 48 years later. His life was almost certainly marked

by the departure of his father for the United States when James

was a teenager. The elder Allen was robbed and murdered.

That tragedy required James to begin working as a professional

secretary at the age of 15. After being inspired by the writings

of Leo Tolstoy, Allen began, while already in his 30s, to write his

own books. In the preface to Foundation Stones to Happiness

and Success, which was published by his wife after his death,

she wrote, “He wrote when he had a message, and it became a

message only when he had lived it out in his own life, and knew

that it was good.”

If you enjoyed this summary of Foundation Stones to Happiness and Success, you may also like:

Thoughts Are Things by Prentice Mulford

Secret of the Ages by Robert Collier

Your Invisible Power by Genevieve Behrend

The businessmen who begin at the bottom achieve the more enduring success.

Happiness and Success Happiness and Success Happiness and Success

Foundation Stones to Happiness and SuccessFoundation Stones to Happiness and Success

Page 4Page 3Page 2 SUCCESS.com SUCCESS BOOK SUMMARIESSUCCESS.com SUCCESS BOOK SUMMARIES SUCCESS.com SUCCESS BOOK SUMMARIES

by men, yet until they are truly learned a man’s character and success are uncertain and insecure.

The � ve principles are � ve practices, � ve avenues to achievement and � ve sources of knowledge. To know them and receive what they alone can bring, he must do them, and give them out in his actions.

SOUND METHODS Right principles are manifested in harmonious action, and

method is to life what law is to the universe. Everywhere in the universe there is the harmonious adjustment of parts,

and it is this symmetry and harmony that reveals a cosmos, as distinguished from chaos. So in human life, the di� erence between a true life and a false, between one purposeful and e� ective and one purposeless and weak, is one of method. The false life is an incoherent jumble of thoughts, passions and actions; the true life is an orderly adjustment of all its parts. It is all the di� erence between a mass of lumber and a smoothly working e� cient machine. A piece of machinery in perfect working order is not only a useful, but an admirable and attractive thing; but when its parts are all out of gear, and refuse to be readjusted, its usefulness and attractiveness are gone, and it is thrown on the scrap-heap. Likewise a life perfectly adjusted in all its parts so as to achieve the highest point of e� ciency, is not only a powerful, but an excellent and beautiful thing; whereas a life confused, inconsistent, discordant, is a deplorable exhibition of wasted energy.

One of the distinguishing di� erences between a wise man and a foolish is, that the wise man pays careful attention to the smallest things, while the foolish man slurs over them, or neglects them altogether. Wisdom consists in maintaining things on their right relations, in keeping all things, the smallest as well as the greatest, in their proper places and times. To violate order is to produce confusion and discord; and unhappiness is but another name for discord. The good businessman knows that system is three parts of success, and that disorder means failure.

To achieve a life rendered sound, successful and sweet by the pursuance of sound methods, one must begin, not by neglect of the little everyday things, but by assiduous attention to them. The due division of hours for business and for play, not confusing the two, the orderly � tting in of all the details of one’s business, times for solitude, for silent thought and for e� ective action, for eating and for abstinence—all these things must have their lawful place in the life of him whose “daily round” is to proceed with the minimum degree of friction, who is to get the most of usefulness, in� uence and joy out of life.

To sum up, method produces that smoothness which goes with strength and e� ciency. Discipline is method applied to the mind. It produces that calmness which goes with power and happiness. Method is working by rule; discipline is living by rule. But working and living are not separate; they are but two aspects of character, of life. Therefore, be orderly in work; be accurate in speech, be logical in thought. Between these and slovenliness, inaccuracy and confusion, is the di� erence

encompasses saving your own physical and mental resources and conserving energy by avoiding self-indulgence. By liberality, Allen refers to being generous with thoughts, deeds, sympathy, goodwill and money. And the last, which Allen stresses may be the most important, is self-control. If, as a business owner, you lose your temper with a customer over a trivial matter, you are heading toward failure. Instead, practice patience, purity, gentleness, kindness and steadfastness until they become a part of your character.

How does a man begin the building of a house? He � rst secures a plan of the proposed edi� ce, and then proceeds to build according to the plan, scrupulously following it in every detail,

beginning with the foundation. Should he neglect the beginning, his labor would be wasted and his building would be insecure and worthless. The same law holds good in any important work; the right beginning and � rst essential is a de� nite mental plan on which to build. It is wise to know what to do � rst. The businessmen who begin at the bottom achieve the more enduring success; and the religious men who reach the highest heights of spiritual knowledge and wisdom are they who have stooped to serve a patient apprenticeship to the humbler tasks, and have not scorned the common experiences of humanity, or overlooked the lessons to be learned from them.

RIGHT PRINCIPLES The � rst things in a sound life—and therefore, in a

truly happy and successful life—are right principles. The fundamentals in all things are few and simple: yet without them there is no knowledge and no achievement. The � rst principles in life are principles of conduct. To name them is easy. As mere words they are on all men’s lips, but few have learned them. These � ve are among the simplest of the root principles of life, but they are those that come nearest to the everyday life, for they touch the artisan, the businessman, the householder, the citizen at every point.

The � rst of these principles is: Duty. The principle of duty means strict adherence to one’s

own business, and just as strict non-interference in the business of others. The man who is continually instructing others how to manage their a� airs is the one who most mismanages his

own. Duty also means undivided attention to the matter in hand, intelligent concentration of the mind on the work to be done; it includes all that is meant by thoroughness, exactness and e� ciency.

Honesty is the next principle. It means not cheating or overcharging another. It involves the absence of all trickery, lying and deception by word, look or gesture. It includes sincerity, the saying what you mean, and the meaning what you say. It scorns shining compliment. It builds up good reputations, and good reputations build up good businesses, and bright joy accompanies well-earned success.

Economy is the third principle. The conservation of one’s � nancial resources is merely the vestibule leading towards the more spacious chambers of true economy. It means, as well, the husbanding of one’s physical vitality and mental resources. It demands the conservation of energy by the avoidance of enervating self-indulgences and sensual habits.

Liberality follows economy. Only the man of economy can a� ord to be generous. The spendthrift, whether in money, vitality or mental energy, wasted so much on his own miserable pleasures as to have none left to bestow upon others. The giving of money is the smallest part of liberality. There is a giving of thoughts, and deeds, and sympathy, the bestowing of goodwill, the being generous towards calumniators and opponents. It is a principle that begets a noble, far-reaching in� uence.

Self-control is the last of these � ve principles, yet the most important. Its neglect is the cause of vast misery, innumerable failures, and tens of thousands of � nancial, physical and mental wrecks. Show me the businessman who loses his temper with a customer over some trivial matter, and I will show you a man who, by that condition of mind, is doomed to failure. If all men practiced even the initial stages of self-control, anger, with its consuming and destroying � re, would be unknown. The lessons of patience, purity, gentleness, kindness and steadfastness, which are contained in the principle of self-control, are slowly learned

between success and failure, music and discord, happiness and misery.

TRUE ACTIONS True actions may easily be distinguished from false. As in

the material world we distinguish things by their form, color, size, etc., so in the spiritual world of deeds, we can distinguish between those that are bad and those that are good by their nature, their aim and their e� ect and can choose and adopt those that are good, and ignore those that are bad.

The carrying out of this principle of honesty and sincerity of action, too, will further lead him into such a path of thoughtfulness in right-doing as will enable him to avoid doing those things which would involve him in the deceptive practices of other people. Before signing papers, or entering into verbal or written arrangements, or engaging himself to others in any way at their request, particularly if they be strangers, he will � rst inquire into the nature of the work or undertaking, and so, enlightened, he will know exactly what to do, and will be fully aware of the import of his action.

It is not enough that an action is prompted by a good impulse or intention; it must arise in thoughtful consideration if it is to be a true action; and the man who wishes to be permanently happy in himself and a power for good to others must concern himself only with true actions.

TRUE SPEECH Truth is known by practice only. Without sincerity there can

be no knowledge of truth; and true speech is the beginning of all sincerity. Truth in all its native beauty and original simplicity consists in abandoning and not doing all those things which are untrue, and in embracing and doing all those things which are true. True speech is therefore one of the elementary beginnings in the life of truth. Falsehood, and all forms of deception; slander and all forms of evil-speaking—these must be totally abandoned and abolished before the mind can receive even a small degree of spiritual enlightenment. The evil-speaker is a positive slanderer; the evil-listener is a passive slanderer. The two are co-operators in the propagation of evil.

Let the would-be “student” of higher things look to himself and beware of self-delusion. For the higher things are

these—uprightness, sincerity, innocence, purity, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, humility, patience, pity, sympathy, self-sacri� ce, joy, goodwill, love—and he who would study them, know them and make them his own, must practice them; there is no other way.

True speech is the beginning of a pure, wise and well-ordered life. If one would attain to the purity of life, if he would lessen the evil and su� ering of the world, let him abandon falsehood and slander in thought and word, let him avoid even the appearance

How to Identify and Create True Actions

Focus on details of conduct to gather insight 1. about your path.

As you learn your path, you will be able to travel 2. on it without being bothered by others’ opinions, ignorance or ungoverned passion.

In all forms of progress, it is necessary to avoid 3. the bad in order to learn to gain acceptance and knowledge of the good.

Bad or untrue actions are those that spring from 4. a consideration of only your own happiness.

Good or true actions spring from a consideration 5. of others.

Avoid acts of personal pleasure that annoy or 6. hurt others.

Do not speak or act in anger, envy or 7. resentment.

Don’t do anything you need to hide from others. 8.

Thoughtlessness is a crime. 9.

Thoughtfulness embraces wisdom. 10.

True actions can only spring from a true mind.11.

How to Identify and Create True Speech Truth is known by practice only.

Without sincerity there can be no knowledge of truth.

To be true means to abandon all things which are untrue and to embrace all that is true.

Falsehood, including speaking or listening to slander, must be totally abandoned before the mind can be spiritually enlightened.

Beware of self-delusion.

The higher things include uprightness, sincerity, innocence, purity, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, humility, patience, pity, sympathy, self-sacri� ce, joy, goodwill and love.

True speech is the beginning of a pure and well-ordered life.

The virtuous man cannot be injured or disturbed about evil reports about himself. His integrity is not affected, nor is his character soiled. The evil doings of others cannot stain him.

The virtuous man has compassion for those who speak evil, since by doing so they are binding themselves to suffering.

The fi rst things in a sound life—and therefore, in a truly happy and successful life—are right principles.

Foundation Stones to Happiness and SuccessFoundation Stones to Happiness and Success

Page 4Page 3Page 2 SUCCESS.com SUCCESS BOOK SUMMARIESSUCCESS.com SUCCESS BOOK SUMMARIES SUCCESS.com SUCCESS BOOK SUMMARIES

by men, yet until they are truly learned a man’s character and success are uncertain and insecure.

The � ve principles are � ve practices, � ve avenues to achievement and � ve sources of knowledge. To know them and receive what they alone can bring, he must do them, and give them out in his actions.

SOUND METHODS Right principles are manifested in harmonious action, and

method is to life what law is to the universe. Everywhere in the universe there is the harmonious adjustment of parts,

and it is this symmetry and harmony that reveals a cosmos, as distinguished from chaos. So in human life, the di� erence between a true life and a false, between one purposeful and e� ective and one purposeless and weak, is one of method. The false life is an incoherent jumble of thoughts, passions and actions; the true life is an orderly adjustment of all its parts. It is all the di� erence between a mass of lumber and a smoothly working e� cient machine. A piece of machinery in perfect working order is not only a useful, but an admirable and attractive thing; but when its parts are all out of gear, and refuse to be readjusted, its usefulness and attractiveness are gone, and it is thrown on the scrap-heap. Likewise a life perfectly adjusted in all its parts so as to achieve the highest point of e� ciency, is not only a powerful, but an excellent and beautiful thing; whereas a life confused, inconsistent, discordant, is a deplorable exhibition of wasted energy.

One of the distinguishing di� erences between a wise man and a foolish is, that the wise man pays careful attention to the smallest things, while the foolish man slurs over them, or neglects them altogether. Wisdom consists in maintaining things on their right relations, in keeping all things, the smallest as well as the greatest, in their proper places and times. To violate order is to produce confusion and discord; and unhappiness is but another name for discord. The good businessman knows that system is three parts of success, and that disorder means failure.

To achieve a life rendered sound, successful and sweet by the pursuance of sound methods, one must begin, not by neglect of the little everyday things, but by assiduous attention to them. The due division of hours for business and for play, not confusing the two, the orderly � tting in of all the details of one’s business, times for solitude, for silent thought and for e� ective action, for eating and for abstinence—all these things must have their lawful place in the life of him whose “daily round” is to proceed with the minimum degree of friction, who is to get the most of usefulness, in� uence and joy out of life.

To sum up, method produces that smoothness which goes with strength and e� ciency. Discipline is method applied to the mind. It produces that calmness which goes with power and happiness. Method is working by rule; discipline is living by rule. But working and living are not separate; they are but two aspects of character, of life. Therefore, be orderly in work; be accurate in speech, be logical in thought. Between these and slovenliness, inaccuracy and confusion, is the di� erence

encompasses saving your own physical and mental resources and conserving energy by avoiding self-indulgence. By liberality, Allen refers to being generous with thoughts, deeds, sympathy, goodwill and money. And the last, which Allen stresses may be the most important, is self-control. If, as a business owner, you lose your temper with a customer over a trivial matter, you are heading toward failure. Instead, practice patience, purity, gentleness, kindness and steadfastness until they become a part of your character.

How does a man begin the building of a house? He � rst secures a plan of the proposed edi� ce, and then proceeds to build according to the plan, scrupulously following it in every detail,

beginning with the foundation. Should he neglect the beginning, his labor would be wasted and his building would be insecure and worthless. The same law holds good in any important work; the right beginning and � rst essential is a de� nite mental plan on which to build. It is wise to know what to do � rst. The businessmen who begin at the bottom achieve the more enduring success; and the religious men who reach the highest heights of spiritual knowledge and wisdom are they who have stooped to serve a patient apprenticeship to the humbler tasks, and have not scorned the common experiences of humanity, or overlooked the lessons to be learned from them.

RIGHT PRINCIPLES The � rst things in a sound life—and therefore, in a

truly happy and successful life—are right principles. The fundamentals in all things are few and simple: yet without them there is no knowledge and no achievement. The � rst principles in life are principles of conduct. To name them is easy. As mere words they are on all men’s lips, but few have learned them. These � ve are among the simplest of the root principles of life, but they are those that come nearest to the everyday life, for they touch the artisan, the businessman, the householder, the citizen at every point.

The � rst of these principles is: Duty. The principle of duty means strict adherence to one’s

own business, and just as strict non-interference in the business of others. The man who is continually instructing others how to manage their a� airs is the one who most mismanages his

own. Duty also means undivided attention to the matter in hand, intelligent concentration of the mind on the work to be done; it includes all that is meant by thoroughness, exactness and e� ciency.

Honesty is the next principle. It means not cheating or overcharging another. It involves the absence of all trickery, lying and deception by word, look or gesture. It includes sincerity, the saying what you mean, and the meaning what you say. It scorns shining compliment. It builds up good reputations, and good reputations build up good businesses, and bright joy accompanies well-earned success.

Economy is the third principle. The conservation of one’s � nancial resources is merely the vestibule leading towards the more spacious chambers of true economy. It means, as well, the husbanding of one’s physical vitality and mental resources. It demands the conservation of energy by the avoidance of enervating self-indulgences and sensual habits.

Liberality follows economy. Only the man of economy can a� ord to be generous. The spendthrift, whether in money, vitality or mental energy, wasted so much on his own miserable pleasures as to have none left to bestow upon others. The giving of money is the smallest part of liberality. There is a giving of thoughts, and deeds, and sympathy, the bestowing of goodwill, the being generous towards calumniators and opponents. It is a principle that begets a noble, far-reaching in� uence.

Self-control is the last of these � ve principles, yet the most important. Its neglect is the cause of vast misery, innumerable failures, and tens of thousands of � nancial, physical and mental wrecks. Show me the businessman who loses his temper with a customer over some trivial matter, and I will show you a man who, by that condition of mind, is doomed to failure. If all men practiced even the initial stages of self-control, anger, with its consuming and destroying � re, would be unknown. The lessons of patience, purity, gentleness, kindness and steadfastness, which are contained in the principle of self-control, are slowly learned

between success and failure, music and discord, happiness and misery.

TRUE ACTIONS True actions may easily be distinguished from false. As in

the material world we distinguish things by their form, color, size, etc., so in the spiritual world of deeds, we can distinguish between those that are bad and those that are good by their nature, their aim and their e� ect and can choose and adopt those that are good, and ignore those that are bad.

The carrying out of this principle of honesty and sincerity of action, too, will further lead him into such a path of thoughtfulness in right-doing as will enable him to avoid doing those things which would involve him in the deceptive practices of other people. Before signing papers, or entering into verbal or written arrangements, or engaging himself to others in any way at their request, particularly if they be strangers, he will � rst inquire into the nature of the work or undertaking, and so, enlightened, he will know exactly what to do, and will be fully aware of the import of his action.

It is not enough that an action is prompted by a good impulse or intention; it must arise in thoughtful consideration if it is to be a true action; and the man who wishes to be permanently happy in himself and a power for good to others must concern himself only with true actions.

TRUE SPEECH Truth is known by practice only. Without sincerity there can

be no knowledge of truth; and true speech is the beginning of all sincerity. Truth in all its native beauty and original simplicity consists in abandoning and not doing all those things which are untrue, and in embracing and doing all those things which are true. True speech is therefore one of the elementary beginnings in the life of truth. Falsehood, and all forms of deception; slander and all forms of evil-speaking—these must be totally abandoned and abolished before the mind can receive even a small degree of spiritual enlightenment. The evil-speaker is a positive slanderer; the evil-listener is a passive slanderer. The two are co-operators in the propagation of evil.

Let the would-be “student” of higher things look to himself and beware of self-delusion. For the higher things are

these—uprightness, sincerity, innocence, purity, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, humility, patience, pity, sympathy, self-sacri� ce, joy, goodwill, love—and he who would study them, know them and make them his own, must practice them; there is no other way.

True speech is the beginning of a pure, wise and well-ordered life. If one would attain to the purity of life, if he would lessen the evil and su� ering of the world, let him abandon falsehood and slander in thought and word, let him avoid even the appearance

How to Identify and Create True Actions

Focus on details of conduct to gather insight 1. about your path.

As you learn your path, you will be able to travel 2. on it without being bothered by others’ opinions, ignorance or ungoverned passion.

In all forms of progress, it is necessary to avoid 3. the bad in order to learn to gain acceptance and knowledge of the good.

Bad or untrue actions are those that spring from 4. a consideration of only your own happiness.

Good or true actions spring from a consideration 5. of others.

Avoid acts of personal pleasure that annoy or 6. hurt others.

Do not speak or act in anger, envy or 7. resentment.

Don’t do anything you need to hide from others. 8.

Thoughtlessness is a crime. 9.

Thoughtfulness embraces wisdom. 10.

True actions can only spring from a true mind.11.

How to Identify and Create True Speech Truth is known by practice only.

Without sincerity there can be no knowledge of truth.

To be true means to abandon all things which are untrue and to embrace all that is true.

Falsehood, including speaking or listening to slander, must be totally abandoned before the mind can be spiritually enlightened.

Beware of self-delusion.

The higher things include uprightness, sincerity, innocence, purity, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, humility, patience, pity, sympathy, self-sacri� ce, joy, goodwill and love.

True speech is the beginning of a pure and well-ordered life.

The virtuous man cannot be injured or disturbed about evil reports about himself. His integrity is not affected, nor is his character soiled. The evil doings of others cannot stain him.

The virtuous man has compassion for those who speak evil, since by doing so they are binding themselves to suffering.

The fi rst things in a sound life—and therefore, in a truly happy and successful life—are right principles.

Foundation Stones to Happiness and SuccessFoundation Stones to Happiness and Success

Page 4Page 3Page 2 SUCCESS.com SUCCESS BOOK SUMMARIESSUCCESS.com SUCCESS BOOK SUMMARIES SUCCESS.com SUCCESS BOOK SUMMARIES

by men, yet until they are truly learned a man’s character and success are uncertain and insecure.

The � ve principles are � ve practices, � ve avenues to achievement and � ve sources of knowledge. To know them and receive what they alone can bring, he must do them, and give them out in his actions.

SOUND METHODS Right principles are manifested in harmonious action, and

method is to life what law is to the universe. Everywhere in the universe there is the harmonious adjustment of parts,

and it is this symmetry and harmony that reveals a cosmos, as distinguished from chaos. So in human life, the di� erence between a true life and a false, between one purposeful and e� ective and one purposeless and weak, is one of method. The false life is an incoherent jumble of thoughts, passions and actions; the true life is an orderly adjustment of all its parts. It is all the di� erence between a mass of lumber and a smoothly working e� cient machine. A piece of machinery in perfect working order is not only a useful, but an admirable and attractive thing; but when its parts are all out of gear, and refuse to be readjusted, its usefulness and attractiveness are gone, and it is thrown on the scrap-heap. Likewise a life perfectly adjusted in all its parts so as to achieve the highest point of e� ciency, is not only a powerful, but an excellent and beautiful thing; whereas a life confused, inconsistent, discordant, is a deplorable exhibition of wasted energy.

One of the distinguishing di� erences between a wise man and a foolish is, that the wise man pays careful attention to the smallest things, while the foolish man slurs over them, or neglects them altogether. Wisdom consists in maintaining things on their right relations, in keeping all things, the smallest as well as the greatest, in their proper places and times. To violate order is to produce confusion and discord; and unhappiness is but another name for discord. The good businessman knows that system is three parts of success, and that disorder means failure.

To achieve a life rendered sound, successful and sweet by the pursuance of sound methods, one must begin, not by neglect of the little everyday things, but by assiduous attention to them. The due division of hours for business and for play, not confusing the two, the orderly � tting in of all the details of one’s business, times for solitude, for silent thought and for e� ective action, for eating and for abstinence—all these things must have their lawful place in the life of him whose “daily round” is to proceed with the minimum degree of friction, who is to get the most of usefulness, in� uence and joy out of life.

To sum up, method produces that smoothness which goes with strength and e� ciency. Discipline is method applied to the mind. It produces that calmness which goes with power and happiness. Method is working by rule; discipline is living by rule. But working and living are not separate; they are but two aspects of character, of life. Therefore, be orderly in work; be accurate in speech, be logical in thought. Between these and slovenliness, inaccuracy and confusion, is the di� erence

encompasses saving your own physical and mental resources and conserving energy by avoiding self-indulgence. By liberality, Allen refers to being generous with thoughts, deeds, sympathy, goodwill and money. And the last, which Allen stresses may be the most important, is self-control. If, as a business owner, you lose your temper with a customer over a trivial matter, you are heading toward failure. Instead, practice patience, purity, gentleness, kindness and steadfastness until they become a part of your character.

How does a man begin the building of a house? He � rst secures a plan of the proposed edi� ce, and then proceeds to build according to the plan, scrupulously following it in every detail,

beginning with the foundation. Should he neglect the beginning, his labor would be wasted and his building would be insecure and worthless. The same law holds good in any important work; the right beginning and � rst essential is a de� nite mental plan on which to build. It is wise to know what to do � rst. The businessmen who begin at the bottom achieve the more enduring success; and the religious men who reach the highest heights of spiritual knowledge and wisdom are they who have stooped to serve a patient apprenticeship to the humbler tasks, and have not scorned the common experiences of humanity, or overlooked the lessons to be learned from them.

RIGHT PRINCIPLES The � rst things in a sound life—and therefore, in a

truly happy and successful life—are right principles. The fundamentals in all things are few and simple: yet without them there is no knowledge and no achievement. The � rst principles in life are principles of conduct. To name them is easy. As mere words they are on all men’s lips, but few have learned them. These � ve are among the simplest of the root principles of life, but they are those that come nearest to the everyday life, for they touch the artisan, the businessman, the householder, the citizen at every point.

The � rst of these principles is: Duty. The principle of duty means strict adherence to one’s

own business, and just as strict non-interference in the business of others. The man who is continually instructing others how to manage their a� airs is the one who most mismanages his

own. Duty also means undivided attention to the matter in hand, intelligent concentration of the mind on the work to be done; it includes all that is meant by thoroughness, exactness and e� ciency.

Honesty is the next principle. It means not cheating or overcharging another. It involves the absence of all trickery, lying and deception by word, look or gesture. It includes sincerity, the saying what you mean, and the meaning what you say. It scorns shining compliment. It builds up good reputations, and good reputations build up good businesses, and bright joy accompanies well-earned success.

Economy is the third principle. The conservation of one’s � nancial resources is merely the vestibule leading towards the more spacious chambers of true economy. It means, as well, the husbanding of one’s physical vitality and mental resources. It demands the conservation of energy by the avoidance of enervating self-indulgences and sensual habits.

Liberality follows economy. Only the man of economy can a� ord to be generous. The spendthrift, whether in money, vitality or mental energy, wasted so much on his own miserable pleasures as to have none left to bestow upon others. The giving of money is the smallest part of liberality. There is a giving of thoughts, and deeds, and sympathy, the bestowing of goodwill, the being generous towards calumniators and opponents. It is a principle that begets a noble, far-reaching in� uence.

Self-control is the last of these � ve principles, yet the most important. Its neglect is the cause of vast misery, innumerable failures, and tens of thousands of � nancial, physical and mental wrecks. Show me the businessman who loses his temper with a customer over some trivial matter, and I will show you a man who, by that condition of mind, is doomed to failure. If all men practiced even the initial stages of self-control, anger, with its consuming and destroying � re, would be unknown. The lessons of patience, purity, gentleness, kindness and steadfastness, which are contained in the principle of self-control, are slowly learned

between success and failure, music and discord, happiness and misery.

TRUE ACTIONS True actions may easily be distinguished from false. As in

the material world we distinguish things by their form, color, size, etc., so in the spiritual world of deeds, we can distinguish between those that are bad and those that are good by their nature, their aim and their e� ect and can choose and adopt those that are good, and ignore those that are bad.

The carrying out of this principle of honesty and sincerity of action, too, will further lead him into such a path of thoughtfulness in right-doing as will enable him to avoid doing those things which would involve him in the deceptive practices of other people. Before signing papers, or entering into verbal or written arrangements, or engaging himself to others in any way at their request, particularly if they be strangers, he will � rst inquire into the nature of the work or undertaking, and so, enlightened, he will know exactly what to do, and will be fully aware of the import of his action.

It is not enough that an action is prompted by a good impulse or intention; it must arise in thoughtful consideration if it is to be a true action; and the man who wishes to be permanently happy in himself and a power for good to others must concern himself only with true actions.

TRUE SPEECH Truth is known by practice only. Without sincerity there can

be no knowledge of truth; and true speech is the beginning of all sincerity. Truth in all its native beauty and original simplicity consists in abandoning and not doing all those things which are untrue, and in embracing and doing all those things which are true. True speech is therefore one of the elementary beginnings in the life of truth. Falsehood, and all forms of deception; slander and all forms of evil-speaking—these must be totally abandoned and abolished before the mind can receive even a small degree of spiritual enlightenment. The evil-speaker is a positive slanderer; the evil-listener is a passive slanderer. The two are co-operators in the propagation of evil.

Let the would-be “student” of higher things look to himself and beware of self-delusion. For the higher things are

these—uprightness, sincerity, innocence, purity, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, humility, patience, pity, sympathy, self-sacri� ce, joy, goodwill, love—and he who would study them, know them and make them his own, must practice them; there is no other way.

True speech is the beginning of a pure, wise and well-ordered life. If one would attain to the purity of life, if he would lessen the evil and su� ering of the world, let him abandon falsehood and slander in thought and word, let him avoid even the appearance

How to Identify and Create True Actions

Focus on details of conduct to gather insight 1. about your path.

As you learn your path, you will be able to travel 2. on it without being bothered by others’ opinions, ignorance or ungoverned passion.

In all forms of progress, it is necessary to avoid 3. the bad in order to learn to gain acceptance and knowledge of the good.

Bad or untrue actions are those that spring from 4. a consideration of only your own happiness.

Good or true actions spring from a consideration 5. of others.

Avoid acts of personal pleasure that annoy or 6. hurt others.

Do not speak or act in anger, envy or 7. resentment.

Don’t do anything you need to hide from others. 8.

Thoughtlessness is a crime. 9.

Thoughtfulness embraces wisdom. 10.

True actions can only spring from a true mind.11.

How to Identify and Create True Speech Truth is known by practice only.

Without sincerity there can be no knowledge of truth.

To be true means to abandon all things which are untrue and to embrace all that is true.

Falsehood, including speaking or listening to slander, must be totally abandoned before the mind can be spiritually enlightened.

Beware of self-delusion.

The higher things include uprightness, sincerity, innocence, purity, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, humility, patience, pity, sympathy, self-sacri� ce, joy, goodwill and love.

True speech is the beginning of a pure and well-ordered life.

The virtuous man cannot be injured or disturbed about evil reports about himself. His integrity is not affected, nor is his character soiled. The evil doings of others cannot stain him.

The virtuous man has compassion for those who speak evil, since by doing so they are binding themselves to suffering.

The fi rst things in a sound life—and therefore, in a truly happy and successful life—are right principles.

Foundation Stones to Happiness and Success Foundation Stones to Happiness and Success

© 2010 SUCCESS Media. All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without prior written permission. Published by SUCCESS Media, 200 Swisher Rd., Lake Dallas, TX 75065, USA. SUCCESS.com.

Foundation Stones to Happiness and Success was published in 1913 and is considered public domain. Cover shown: © 2008, Wilder Productions.

by James AllenFirst published in 1913 Cover shown: © 2008, Wilder Productions

SUCCESS.com SUCCESS BOOK SUMMARIES SUCCESS.com SUCCESS BOOK SUMMARIESPage 1Page 6Page 5 SUCCESS.com SUCCESS BOOK SUMMARIES

The True Path If we live our principles, we will fi nd success in business and in life.

QUICK OVERVIEW This short, well-organized book clearly came from James Allen’s heart and life,

and spilled right onto the page. Though some of his word choices date the book, written almost 100 years ago, the simplicity of his message shines into this day and age. Essentially, Allen urges readers to apply the right principles and follow them from beginning to end. He notes that we are in control of our thoughts and actions, and in order to be successful in business, and in life, we need to be focused, compassionate and balanced. We need to check and overcome all forms of prejudice, avoid speaking evil of others, or listening to it, and follow the “true and direct” path, regardless of the forces around us. He makes it sound easy, and maybe it is. After all, his simple wisdom has survived longer than most of its readers will live.

APPLY AND ACHIEVE It’s easy to talk about having good principles; harder to live by them. But they are

at the foundation of a successful life. The best way to apply them is to start at the bottom and work your way up to lasting success. According to James Allen, the � ve key principles are duty, honesty, economy, liberality and self-control. Of those � ve, all but liberality are common buzzwords in today’s society. But by Allen’s de� nitions, we all have something to learn. For example, he de� nes duty as minding your own business—paying attention to what you’re doing, not what someone else is doing. Duty requires giving undivided attention to the matter at hand. To practice honesty, you must do more than pledge to tell the truth. You must also avoid insincere compliments, and build a good reputation, which will help to build a good business. To Allen, economy

of these things, for there are no lies and no slanders so deadly as those which are half-truths, and let him not be a participant in evil-speaking by listening to it.

EQUAL-MINDEDNESS To be equally-minded is to be peacefully-minded, for a man

cannot be said to have arrived at peace who allows his mind to be disturbed and thrown o� the balance by occurrences. The partisan is so convinced that his own opinion and his own side is right, and all that goes contrary to them is wrong, that he cannot think there is any good in the other opinion and the other side. He lives in a continual fever of attack and defense, and has no knowledge of the quiet peace of an equal mind.

The equal-minded man watches himself in order to check and overcome even the appearance of passion and prejudice in his mind, and by so doing he develops sympathy for others, and comes to understand their position and particular state of mind; and as he comes to understand others, he perceives the folly of condemning them and opposing himself to them. Thus there grows up in his heart a divine charity which cannot be limited, but which is extended to all things that live and strive and su� er. The occurrences of life do not trouble him, nor does he grieve over those things which are regarded by mankind as grievous, but which must befall all men in the ordinary course of nature. He is neither elated by success nor cast down by failure.

GOOD RESULTS Deeper thought, and a clearer insight into life convinces us,

however, that nothing happens without a cause, and that cause and e� ect are always related in perfect adjustment and harmony. We reap as we sow. Those things which come to us, though not by our own choosing, are by our causing. Within ourselves is the deep-seated cause of all of our su� erings, the spring of all of our joys. Alter the inner world of our thoughts, and the other world

of events will cease to bring you sorrow; make the heart pure, and to you all things will be pure, all occurrences happy and in true order.

Our life is good or bad, enslaved or free, according to its causation in our thoughts, for out of these thoughts spring all our deeds, and from these deeds come equitable results. We cannot seize good relationships violently, like a thief, and claim and enjoy them, but we can bring them to pass by, setting in motion the causes within ourselves. Men strive for money, sigh for happiness, and would gladly possess wisdom, yet fail to secure these things, while they see others to whom these blessings appear unbidden. The doer of true actions, who pursues sound methods, grounded on right principles will not need to strive and struggle for good results; they will be there as the e� ects of his righteous rule of life. The truth of sowing and reaping in the moral sphere is a simple one, yet men are slow to understand and accept it.

If we observe right principles, or causes, wrong e� ects cannot possibly accrue. If we pursue sound methods, no shoddy thread can � nd its way into the web of our life, no rotten brick enter into the building of our character to render it insecure, and if we do true actions, what but good results can come to pass; for to say that good causes can produce bad e� ects is to say that nettles can be reaped from the sowing of corn.

He who orders his life along the moral lines thus brie� y enunciated will attain to such a state of insight and equilibrium as to render him permanently happy and perennially glad; all his e� orts will be seasonally planted; all the issues of his life will be good, and though he may not become a millionaire as indeed he will have no desire to become such—he will acquire the gift of peace, and true success will wait upon him as its commanding master.

SUCCESS PointsThis book will teach you how to:

Make choices based on • sound moral principles

Find equilibrium, even when • the world around you is unsettled

Order your life so that you • bring about good things by your thoughts and actions

Correct and perfect your • mind, making it more powerful and effi cient

AU

GU

ST 2

01

0

Foundation Stones to Happiness and Success by James Allen

ACTION STEPS Get more out of this SUCCESS Book Summary by putting what you’ve learned into action. Below are a few thoughts and questions to help you get started:

We reap what we sow, either by our choosing or by our 1. “causing.” Are you ready to harness your thoughts to bring about change in your life?

An “equal-minded” man is neither elated by success 2. nor cast down by failure. He sees the events of life in their proper proportion. Are the events of your life in proportion?

Constructing a house requires a detailed plan, and 3. that plan must be closely followed. Take a few minutes to imagine your life as a house. How well has it been constructed?

Allen writes that we must avoid acts of pleasure which 4. bring about annoyance or pain to others, no matter how insignifi cant these acts may be. How would your life be changed if you lived by his advice?

Allen writes that a businessman who loses his temper with 5. a customer over a trivial matter is a man who is doomed to failure because he lacks self-control. Think about how this applies to your life and your interactions with others, both personally and professionally.

Even if you avoid speaking evil of others, you are still guilty 6. of slander if you listen to others’ idle gossip. For one day, avoid doing either one and see how you feel at the end of the day.

It is easy to be infl uenced by another’s opinions of 7. ourselves or our actions. Determine to be guided by your own internal forces.

About the AuthorNearly 100 years after his death, little is known about the

man one biographer refers to as the “literary mystery man.”

James Allen wrote 19 philosophical and inspirational books

during his relatively short life, and didn’t even live long enough

to see them all published. He was born in England in 1864 and

died there 48 years later. His life was almost certainly marked

by the departure of his father for the United States when James

was a teenager. The elder Allen was robbed and murdered.

That tragedy required James to begin working as a professional

secretary at the age of 15. After being inspired by the writings

of Leo Tolstoy, Allen began, while already in his 30s, to write his

own books. In the preface to Foundation Stones to Happiness

and Success, which was published by his wife after his death,

she wrote, “He wrote when he had a message, and it became a

message only when he had lived it out in his own life, and knew

that it was good.”

If you enjoyed this summary of Foundation Stones to Happiness and Success, you may also like:

Thoughts Are Things by Prentice Mulford

Secret of the Ages by Robert Collier

Your Invisible Power by Genevieve Behrend

The businessmen who begin at the bottom achieve the more enduring success.

Happiness and Success Happiness and Success Happiness and Success

Foundation Stones to Happiness and Success Foundation Stones to Happiness and Success

© 2010 SUCCESS Media. All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without prior written permission. Published by SUCCESS Media, 200 Swisher Rd., Lake Dallas, TX 75065, USA. SUCCESS.com.

Foundation Stones to Happiness and Success was published in 1913 and is considered public domain. Cover shown: © 2008, Wilder Productions.

by James AllenFirst published in 1913 Cover shown: © 2008, Wilder Productions

SUCCESS.com SUCCESS BOOK SUMMARIES SUCCESS.com SUCCESS BOOK SUMMARIESPage 1Page 6Page 5 SUCCESS.com SUCCESS BOOK SUMMARIES

The True Path If we live our principles, we will fi nd success in business and in life.

QUICK OVERVIEW This short, well-organized book clearly came from James Allen’s heart and life,

and spilled right onto the page. Though some of his word choices date the book, written almost 100 years ago, the simplicity of his message shines into this day and age. Essentially, Allen urges readers to apply the right principles and follow them from beginning to end. He notes that we are in control of our thoughts and actions, and in order to be successful in business, and in life, we need to be focused, compassionate and balanced. We need to check and overcome all forms of prejudice, avoid speaking evil of others, or listening to it, and follow the “true and direct” path, regardless of the forces around us. He makes it sound easy, and maybe it is. After all, his simple wisdom has survived longer than most of its readers will live.

APPLY AND ACHIEVE It’s easy to talk about having good principles; harder to live by them. But they are

at the foundation of a successful life. The best way to apply them is to start at the bottom and work your way up to lasting success. According to James Allen, the � ve key principles are duty, honesty, economy, liberality and self-control. Of those � ve, all but liberality are common buzzwords in today’s society. But by Allen’s de� nitions, we all have something to learn. For example, he de� nes duty as minding your own business—paying attention to what you’re doing, not what someone else is doing. Duty requires giving undivided attention to the matter at hand. To practice honesty, you must do more than pledge to tell the truth. You must also avoid insincere compliments, and build a good reputation, which will help to build a good business. To Allen, economy

of these things, for there are no lies and no slanders so deadly as those which are half-truths, and let him not be a participant in evil-speaking by listening to it.

EQUAL-MINDEDNESS To be equally-minded is to be peacefully-minded, for a man

cannot be said to have arrived at peace who allows his mind to be disturbed and thrown o� the balance by occurrences. The partisan is so convinced that his own opinion and his own side is right, and all that goes contrary to them is wrong, that he cannot think there is any good in the other opinion and the other side. He lives in a continual fever of attack and defense, and has no knowledge of the quiet peace of an equal mind.

The equal-minded man watches himself in order to check and overcome even the appearance of passion and prejudice in his mind, and by so doing he develops sympathy for others, and comes to understand their position and particular state of mind; and as he comes to understand others, he perceives the folly of condemning them and opposing himself to them. Thus there grows up in his heart a divine charity which cannot be limited, but which is extended to all things that live and strive and su� er. The occurrences of life do not trouble him, nor does he grieve over those things which are regarded by mankind as grievous, but which must befall all men in the ordinary course of nature. He is neither elated by success nor cast down by failure.

GOOD RESULTS Deeper thought, and a clearer insight into life convinces us,

however, that nothing happens without a cause, and that cause and e� ect are always related in perfect adjustment and harmony. We reap as we sow. Those things which come to us, though not by our own choosing, are by our causing. Within ourselves is the deep-seated cause of all of our su� erings, the spring of all of our joys. Alter the inner world of our thoughts, and the other world

of events will cease to bring you sorrow; make the heart pure, and to you all things will be pure, all occurrences happy and in true order.

Our life is good or bad, enslaved or free, according to its causation in our thoughts, for out of these thoughts spring all our deeds, and from these deeds come equitable results. We cannot seize good relationships violently, like a thief, and claim and enjoy them, but we can bring them to pass by, setting in motion the causes within ourselves. Men strive for money, sigh for happiness, and would gladly possess wisdom, yet fail to secure these things, while they see others to whom these blessings appear unbidden. The doer of true actions, who pursues sound methods, grounded on right principles will not need to strive and struggle for good results; they will be there as the e� ects of his righteous rule of life. The truth of sowing and reaping in the moral sphere is a simple one, yet men are slow to understand and accept it.

If we observe right principles, or causes, wrong e� ects cannot possibly accrue. If we pursue sound methods, no shoddy thread can � nd its way into the web of our life, no rotten brick enter into the building of our character to render it insecure, and if we do true actions, what but good results can come to pass; for to say that good causes can produce bad e� ects is to say that nettles can be reaped from the sowing of corn.

He who orders his life along the moral lines thus brie� y enunciated will attain to such a state of insight and equilibrium as to render him permanently happy and perennially glad; all his e� orts will be seasonally planted; all the issues of his life will be good, and though he may not become a millionaire as indeed he will have no desire to become such—he will acquire the gift of peace, and true success will wait upon him as its commanding master.

SUCCESS PointsThis book will teach you how to:

Make choices based on • sound moral principles

Find equilibrium, even when • the world around you is unsettled

Order your life so that you • bring about good things by your thoughts and actions

Correct and perfect your • mind, making it more powerful and effi cient

AU

GU

ST 2

01

0

Foundation Stones to Happiness and Success by James Allen

ACTION STEPS Get more out of this SUCCESS Book Summary by putting what you’ve learned into action. Below are a few thoughts and questions to help you get started:

We reap what we sow, either by our choosing or by our 1. “causing.” Are you ready to harness your thoughts to bring about change in your life?

An “equal-minded” man is neither elated by success 2. nor cast down by failure. He sees the events of life in their proper proportion. Are the events of your life in proportion?

Constructing a house requires a detailed plan, and 3. that plan must be closely followed. Take a few minutes to imagine your life as a house. How well has it been constructed?

Allen writes that we must avoid acts of pleasure which 4. bring about annoyance or pain to others, no matter how insignifi cant these acts may be. How would your life be changed if you lived by his advice?

Allen writes that a businessman who loses his temper with 5. a customer over a trivial matter is a man who is doomed to failure because he lacks self-control. Think about how this applies to your life and your interactions with others, both personally and professionally.

Even if you avoid speaking evil of others, you are still guilty 6. of slander if you listen to others’ idle gossip. For one day, avoid doing either one and see how you feel at the end of the day.

It is easy to be infl uenced by another’s opinions of 7. ourselves or our actions. Determine to be guided by your own internal forces.

About the AuthorNearly 100 years after his death, little is known about the

man one biographer refers to as the “literary mystery man.”

James Allen wrote 19 philosophical and inspirational books

during his relatively short life, and didn’t even live long enough

to see them all published. He was born in England in 1864 and

died there 48 years later. His life was almost certainly marked

by the departure of his father for the United States when James

was a teenager. The elder Allen was robbed and murdered.

That tragedy required James to begin working as a professional

secretary at the age of 15. After being inspired by the writings

of Leo Tolstoy, Allen began, while already in his 30s, to write his

own books. In the preface to Foundation Stones to Happiness

and Success, which was published by his wife after his death,

she wrote, “He wrote when he had a message, and it became a

message only when he had lived it out in his own life, and knew

that it was good.”

If you enjoyed this summary of Foundation Stones to Happiness and Success, you may also like:

Thoughts Are Things by Prentice Mulford

Secret of the Ages by Robert Collier

Your Invisible Power by Genevieve Behrend

The businessmen who begin at the bottom achieve the more enduring success.

Happiness and Success Happiness and Success Happiness and Success